Drying-machine.



' s. 0. KEITH, n.

DRYING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED 3111.14, 1908.

Patented May 9, 1911.

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991,516. Patented May 9,1911.

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s. c. KEITH, JR. DRYING MACHINE. APPLIGATIOH FILED JAN. 14, 190B.

Patented May 9, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oninon.

SIMEON C. KEITH, J'B., OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 H. J.KEITH COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DRYING-MACHINE.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed January 14, 1908. Serial No. 410,760.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, SIMEON C. KEITH, J r., of Somerville, in the countyof Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new andusefulImprovements in Drying-Machines, of which the followingiis aspecification. I

This invention has relation to machines for an endless drying surface ofconsiderable area for the reception of the material to be dried, saidmaterial adhering thereto, and being subsequently removed. In suchmachines the belt is usually formed of thin sheet metal and is supportedupon drums one of which is rotated to effect the longitudinal movementof the belt.

In order that the liquid material may be exposed to the heateddryingmecliurn for a sufiicient length of time to effectively dry it,

terial to be dried in order that the machine may have the greatestefliciency.

One of the objects of the present invention.

is toprovide means for supporting and guiding the belt between the drumswithout causing the contact of such means with the outer face or surfaceof the belt, in consequence of which the entire outer face or surfacemay be used for the reception of thematerial to be dried. The supportingof the upper stretch of the drum presents little difliculty, since'theunder surface of the upper stretch may rest upon any suitable guidingand sup porting means, such as rolls or the like. The supporting of theunder stretch, however, presents a somewhat diflicult problem, since ifthe under face or lower face or surface of the lower stretch'of the beltrests upon a guide or support, that portion of the said face or surfacewhich engages the support cannot be utilized for the reception of thematerial to be dried. 'I have solved the problem of guiding the lowerstretch and holding it against vibratory movement by permitting the saidlower stretch to sag or to hang in a catenary curve and providingmembers for engaging only the upper surface or face of said stretch atvarious points in its length and thereby guiding and hold ing it againstvibration. In this way I am able to guide the belt between the drumsprevent it from vibrating without permitti'ng the outer surface or faceof the belt to come in contact with any part of the machine except-thefeeding device. Any suitable means may bentilized for guiding the beltand holding it against vibration though I preferably employ transversemem-, bers which may take the form of rods or rolls.

As previously stated, the belt is made of thin sheet metal, and onaccount of its length and longitudinal movement it is apt to creeplaterally. I therefore, provide means for preventing, so far aspossible, any lateral movement of the belt as might cause injury to theside edges thereof. I utilize guards consisting of fiat plates arrangedat right angles to the edges of the belt, and I face said plates with asuitable material which cannot injure the said edges. Preferably thismaterial is a non-conductor of elec tricity, in consequence of which Imay utilize an,- electric circuit which for convenience may include themetallic belt and plates, and which is closed when the said insulatingmater1al has worn through so as to notify an attendant by the operationof an indicator or to operate a stop motion for the motor..

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents in side elevation, an eggdrying machine embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 22 of Fig. l on alarger scalel Fig. 8 represents a similar section on the line 83 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a partial section and shows one of the sideguides. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the, switch or member which controlsthe supply of power for driving the machine. Fig. 7 represents one ofthe oil cups. Fig. 8 is a conventional view showing the cross rods forthe belt. Fig. 9 illustrates conventionally the electric alarm andswitcheontrolling circuit.

Referring to the drawings, a machine is but I desire to have itunderstood at the outset that various changes may be made in the detailsof construction thereof without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. j I

The machine comprises an endless belt 10,

illustrated which embodies the invention,

which is of any desirable width and of sufficient length to effect thedrying of the egg which is deposited thereon beforeanother layer of eggis placed upon it. This belt 1s preferably formed of sheet metal such aszinc. It is-supported upon two drums 11, 12. The shaft 13 for the drum11 1s ournaled in bearings in one end of the frame, said framecomprising end uprights 14, 15 and intermediate supports 16. Anyconvenient means may be adopted for effecting the rotation of thedrum13, such as a worm wheel 17 which. intermeshes with and is driven bya-worm 18 on a shaft 19 suitably journaled on the frame. I haveillustrated the shaft 19 as being equipped with agear 20 driven by apinion 21 onthe dr ving shaft of an electric motor 22 supported by theframe.

The frame is provided with an elongated inclosed drying chamber in whichthe belt moves. It is formed in any convenient way and receives a streamof hot air from any convenient source. As illustrated, the dry ingchamber consists of a hollow boxing which follows the path of the belt.This boxing comprises an upper portion 23, a

lower portion 24, and an intermediate portion 25 inclosing the drum 11.The upper portion of the elongated drying chamber is straight as shown,whereas the lower por-' 'tion is curved for a purpose to be explained.The boxing consists of alower wall 26, an

upper wall '27, and removable sides 28, all

suitably connected and mounted upon the supports14, 15 and 16. Leadinginto the receiving end of the drying chamber near .the drum 22 is aconduit 29 for delivering hot air thereto, there being a conduit 30which communicates with the delivering end of the lower portion 24 ofthe chamber for conducting away the air therefrom.

The upper stretch a of the belt is substantially on a horizontal planeand it is supported upon transverse members 31 which consist of rollshaving their ends journaled in bearings 32 so that they are free torotate. They are arranged atproper distances apart so as to support theupper stretch of the belt as it passes from the drum 12 to the drum 11.The lower stretch of the belt is permitted to sag and it extends insubstantially a catenary curve from the drum 11 to the drum 12 as shownin Fig. 8. To keep said lower stretch in the same relative position inthe conduit and to prevent vibration, there are arranged above the lowerstretch of the belt transverse members consisting of cross-rolls 33whose ends are j-ournaled in bearings 34 attached to the I inner surfaceof the uprights 16 as shown in Fig. 3. q

The upper surface of the lower stretch of the belt is held in engagementwith the rolls 33 by mounting the shaft 35 of the drum-12 in bearings 36on a frame 37, which frame is equipped with rolls to slide in guidewayson inclined supports 38, there being con nected to the frame by links39, bell cranks 40 from the longer arms of which weights are suspended,so that the drum is movably supported, and the tension exerted by theweights 41 holds the stretches of the belts against the cross-rolls andserves to maintain the belt in its position in the conduit which wouldotherwise change from expansion or contraction. By this construction theentire outer surface of the belt is out of contact with any supportingor guiding devices and may be utilized to receive the material to bedried.

i The device for feeding the egg to the belt is indicated at 48 and neednot be described in detail since it forms the subject-matter of theco-pending a plication of Herbert J. Keith and myself, erial No.401,560, filed November 11, 1907. It is sufficient to state that thefeeding device is arranged in front of the drum 12 so as to supply theegg in a thin layer to the belt as it passes around the drum.

In order to safe guard .the belt against sidewise or lateral movement, Iprovide what I term belt-guards. These are arranged near but notnecessarily enga ing the side edges of the upper stretch a 0 the belt asit approaches the driun 11 and the side edges of the stretch b as itapproaches the drum 12. Each side guard, as shown in Fig. 4, consists ofa layer 42 of rawhide or other equivalent tough non-conductiblematerial, which is secured to a plate or backing 43 attached to astandard 44. The

standard 44 and plate 43 are formed of right angles to the plane of thebelt, that the belt will be restricted against excessive lateralmovement and yet will be free to rise and fall.

The standards and plates are connected in an electric circuit asillustrated conventionally in Fig. 9 This circuit includes a battery orsource of power 0, an alarm or indicator d, and a conductore which isconnected with a brush or contact bearing against the under surface ofthe u per stretch a of the belt. The other end of the conductor e isconnected to a conductor j which in turn has its ends connected to thefour standards 44. The belt is of metal as previously stated, and istherefore a conductor so that, in case the edge of the b'elt should sawor cut through any one of the belt guards 42, it will make contact withthe metal belt 43 to close a circuit through the indicator (1 so as tonotify the attendant of the abnormal lateral position of the'belt sothat he may stop the machine and readjust the belt to its properposition.

.I have also rovided means by which the machine may e stoppedautomatically. I have already. stated that the machine is driven by anelectric motor 22. The upper circuit 45 is controlled by a switch 46which is adapted to engage contacts 47 in a circuit} 45, said movablecontact 46 being connected to the main supply circuit 49. l. he switch46 is-adapted to be thrown out of engagement with the contacts 47 bysprings 50, but it is normally held in engagement therewith by aweighted latch 51. These parts are all mounted upon a suitableswitch-board through which the latch 51 extends. On the back of saidboard is placed an electromagnet It in series in the indicator circuit.The tail of the latch, 51 is provided with an armature 53 in operativerelation to the magnet it so that, when the magnet h is ehergized by theclosing of the circuit, the latch will be moved to release the switchand the latter will be thrown so as to breakthe circuit through themotor, and thus stop the machine.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention anddescribed a wayof constructing and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, I declare that what I claim is 1. A 'drying machine, comprisingsup- I porting drums, an endless drying belt thereonly the inner face orsurface of said on whose-lower stretch forms a catenary curve, said beltserving to 'receive the egg which adheres thereto, members engaging andsupporting the under face of the upper the upper face of the lowerstretc and maintaining said stretch in substantially said curve withoutvibration. 4

2. A drying machine comprising support and means between said drums forsupportingand holding the stretches of said belt g t so as to permit theentire area of the outer face or surface to receive the egg to be dried.

3. A drying machine comprising an endless belt, means for supplying eggbatter against vibration, said means enga e thereto, drums forsupporting and driving said belt, the lower stretch of said belt saggingbetween said drums, transverse members engaging the under and uppersurfaces of the upper and lower stretches respectively of the belt, andmeans for exerting a yielding pressure on one of said drums to move itaway from the other.

4. In a drying machine, drums arranged in an approximately horizontalplane, means for drawing one of said drums away from the other, anendless belt on said drums.

to which adheres the egg batter fed thereto, a feeding mechanism, andmeans for maintaining theposition'and preventing the vibration of, thestretches of the belt between said drums, comprising transverse memberson which the upper stretch rests, and trans verse members engaging theupper surface of the lower stretch and arranged in a curve substantiallycorresponding to the 'catenary curve of said stretch.

5. In a drying machine, an endless metal drying belt, drums therefor,and means for indicating an abnormal lateral movement of the beltcomprising an electric indicator and an electric circuit including saidbelt closed by said abnormal lateral movement of the belt.

6'. In a drying machine, an endless metallic drying belt, drumstherefor, belt guards, each comprising a metallic back ng and an exposedlayer of insulating material, a contact engaged with said belt and anelectric circuit including an indicating device, and connected to saidcontact and to said backings. stretch of said belt, and members en aging7. In a drying machine, an endless metallic drying belt, drums therefor,belt guards, each comprisin a metalhc back ng and an exposed layer 0insulating material, a contact engaged with said belt, mechanism fordriving one of said drums, a stop motion device therefor, and anelectric circuit including said contact, said backing and anelectromagnetic mechanism for controlling said stop motion device.

In testimonywhereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowltnesses.

SIMEON C. KEITH, JR. Witnesses:

W. W. PEZZETTI, A. L. FOLSOM.

